Oxbridge Aspirants 2022...Part 2...applications submitted now the tense wait!

[TangoWhiskyAlphaTango]

Thought I would start a new thread as part one is nearly full and found thread one to be of great support.

So its deadline week this week for our applicants then the nervous wait begins to find out of they have made it to interview. DD applying for HSPS at Cambridge. We know it is a long shot but got to be in it to win it and she is very keen to try. Looking at the admissions info it does not look as though she will need to sit a test prior but all the best to those who will have to.

@ProggyMat I went to DS’s school to watch him in his school play and saw one of the UCAS team members. Apparently Oxford don’t send email confirmation of CAT registration (why not???) but I was assured it’s all in hand. It had better be! Today is last day of term so DS now has two weeks to finalise the written work and CAT practice.

Confirmation email from college with request for 2 pieces of work. 1st hurdle passed

@Horace123 I’m sure his school has it all in hand.
DDs teachers are all aware the CAT is looming - there’s been a lot of focus on the ‘unseens’ in both languages and a ramping up of vocab tests.
DD has just had an Ancient History essay back which she’s really pleased with so that’s going to be one of her two pieces of work- don’t know what her plan is for the second piece.
I do know she’s ready for half term!

DD, in the Scottish system, has written no essays yet, so will have to write 2 just for the Oxbridge process. No guidance at all for the test. They did give advice on the personal statement, though.

@Nootall

DD, in the Scottish system, has written no essays yet, so will have to write 2 just for the Oxbridge process. No guidance at all for the test. They did give advice on the personal statement, though.

Is this an English specific essay or just English based? I'm an English teacher in Scotland and both Higher and Advanced Higher classes have written essays. Higher have written a literature essay and a folio piece and Adv Higher the 1st draft of creative which could re drafted quite quickly. Send an email to her teacher- there may be first drafts around you're not aware of.

Also if she's Adv Higher she'll have successful folio pieces and plenty lit essays from last year's Higher.

Nootall Oxford says no pieces written especially for the application and there's a form which has to be signed off by a teacher confirming. Our school is very tough on this.

@mustardpot13

Do some schools help prepare their students for the admissions test? My son's school doesnt- so just wondered.

No admission test for dd but college have been really good. They have an Oxbridge group run by the Principal who is a former Cambridge graduate. He did history so they read passages and dissect them. Probably won't have any bearing on whether dd gets in or not but I think it's good they offer some support. They had 14 get into oxbridge last year which is good for a big standard sixth form college.

It's modern languages. No literature essays written yet. No language essays that are not tiny and basic.

@mustardpot13, DC's school didn't help with admissions test prep but DS practised for the TSA over a number of weeks using the past papers available online. He didn't use any other resources.

Is your dd doing another essay-based subject, @Nootall? Last year, dd submitted an English literature essay as one of her two pieces of written work for Oxford

May I join? DS's UCAS application was sent through his school and they just sent it this morning, despite it having been ready for some time! I was on the point of picking up the phone and chasing them, but DS would not let me. I am glad it's over; was sick of arguing over his PS.

DS has applied for Economics at Cambridge, LSE, Warwick, UCL and Notts.

Welcome Mareo!

Well, my son's school finally sent off his UCAS this morning, during form time. I did end up emailing them last night to check where it was all up to as I couldn't really believe that anyone would leave it till the last minute like that particularly when the pupils themselves have been so organised and was convinced there was some kind of cockup. (It was a very polite email!) They did reply immediately saying it was being worked on "as we speak" and they wanted to make sure they did a thorough check. Then a few of DS's friends started getting notifications of receipt, so eeither it was just a very big coincidence or they genuinely did think it ok to leave it till the last minute to do it. Flying by the skin of their teeth if you ask me....

Anyway, I can breathe a sigh of relief now. I'll be reading the thread wtih interest to see what happens next to everyone.

@Nootall

It's modern languages. No literature essays written yet. No language essays that are not tiny and basic.

Essays from Higher last year?

Do I win the prize for the latest submission by DC's school? 2pm today ... And the head of sixth apparently thought the deadline was midnight ... I've been on a knife edge all day. Double the fun in our house: DS1 for Oxford and DS2 for Cambridge. Both engineering. Any other potential engineers out there?? I must say that the DC on this thread often seem more arts/humanities-inclined. But this year seems nice and friendly. I haven't dared stick my head above the parapet in previous years!

Kitnkaboodle you just pipped us at 1.36pm submission by the school despite having the submitted application 8 DAYS ago! Not impressed.

kitnkaboodle my DS has applied for Mathematics at Oxford so not all arts! Can't believe you have double dunter applications. I couldn't cope.

I agree @kitnkaboodle this thread has been brilliant .. good luck all !

I agree this thread has been brilliant! Let's stay no matter what happens! Thanks for starting it OP
DD now had all 5 acknowledgements and the wotsit SQA from Cambridge.

Not engineering but not arts / humanities either - DD is applying for Maths at Cambridge and Maths and Physics elsewhere.

The latest worry this week (on top of are her other choices the right choices) is shd she have been doing the MAT for any of the non-Camb courses. She doesn't but her school had to ring a couple of the departments to confirm.

Very ready for this half term break!

Ooh that was horribly too close for comfort Kit and Heinz.

@kitnkaboodle

Do I win the prize for the latest submission by DC's school? 2pm today ... And the head of sixth apparently thought the deadline was midnight ... I've been on a knife edge all day. Double the fun in our house: DS1 for Oxford and DS2 for Cambridge. Both engineering. Any other potential engineers out there?? I must say that the DC on this thread often seem more arts/humanities-inclined. But this year seems nice and friendly. I haven't dared stick my head above the parapet in previous years!

Crikey that is stressful glad they sorted it, nothing like leaving it to the last minute!

@Geamhradh

I agree this thread has been brilliant! Let's stay no matter what happens! Thanks for starting it OP DD now had all 5 acknowledgements and the wotsit SQA from Cambridge.

I do not know of anybody else who is applying as we are brand new to this area and DD attends a sixth form college so its really lovely to have the support. I tend not to tell many people she is applying as it seems to add more pressure when the stats of actually getting in are so low.

I am new to the UK and absolutely unfamiliar with the British university system, so this thread has been very helpful. Not got the SQA yet.